No waste here

Scrap sock. Thought I'd start to use up my leftovers. So this is a mix of Opal Harry Potter - in Lupin and some Reggia. Knit over 64sts on 2.75mm circs using an after thought heel.

Now I just need to choose whether number 2 is the same or a reversal of the colourways? These are destined to be used for dog walking boots so they aren't going to be visible so maybe I'll go quirky with the colours.

Travelling Women Shawl

I knit this for a friend who has travelling in her future.

It's on the blocking mat right now.

I started Saturday 14th August and cast it off today.

Now I have to make one for me!

Techie bits.

Pattern - Travelling Women by Liz Abinante - free pattern on Ravelry.

I extra repeat of chart A because I used finer yarn and two size smaller needle.

Yarn - Handmaiden Seasilk - 100g skein in a mix of rich orangey tones- deep umbers, through marmalades to rich deep gold - I used 69g in total.

Needle- 3.5mm straights and circs.

Knitting? No...surely it cannot be!

Oh yes my little cheese and onion crisps, there has been knitting. Woooo I feel a little faint, maybe a brief lie down might be of assistance to the shock!

I finally finished the plain pair of socks that I started for M in May. The yarn is from his stash (he wanted socks but is into his clay at the moment so asked me to knit the yarn for him.....no I didn't have his arm twisted behind his back......well maybe just a little) and is Hot Socks we purchased it from The Woolbar in Worthing
which is a lovely little yarn shop. The pattern is just a bog standard Plain Ole Vanilla sock to fit a mans UK size 8 foot over 64 sts on 2.75mm circs using a standard slip-stitch heel flap.

I have also finished another project, pictured above, which is lovely, but I can't do more than show the stitch pattern as I intend to gift them to someone who might stumble across them on here, maybe. Once I've gifted

them then I will post proper pictures.

Waving lace socks.

Finished these last night. They are Waving Lace Socks by Evelyn A Clark. This is the second time I've knit this pattern, the last pair were not a favourite due to the yarn I used, these were made in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi in colourway Wisteria. I used 2.75mm circs.

Close up of the lace pattern. I think it is very pretty.

A 100g of hand spun Alpaca/silk blend.

Punctured figures and missing mojo

I still do patchwork occasionally, though I tend to hand piece these days in preference to machine piecing, hence the punctured fingers. I'm also covered in lint and have quilting pins stuck in my lapel. I feel like a walking craft table.

Knitting is slow at the moment my mojo is on a go slow more than totally missing. It doesn't help finding all those books in the attic. It has some brilliant books/authors from Stephen Donaldson to Anne McCaffrey. It's like finding lots and lots of old friends.

So far I've read 5 in less than or around a week. I'm loving it but it means my knitting etc is being a bit sidelined - it's been a long time since I've read like this.....so maybe it is a case of knitting mojo on go slow, reading mojo back with a bang.

Maia and Ruby

This is my SIL's new Border puppy Maia who is 8 weeks old and moved in (and took over?) their home this week. She is totally adorable and lovely and squonchy and cute and smells of puppy!

This is who Maia has come to live with - the lovely Ruby - who is actually her Auntie.

Yay more Borders in the family!

What's on the needles? Catch up.

Remiss of me not posting here, but I am on holiday and time is whizzing by.....whoosh!

I had a bad case of startitus and really have too much on the go - but I will get to them all in time - nothing I want to frog, just a case of needing to sit and manage my time and projects (yeah right?!).

Socks;-
M's plain ole vanillas - 1 down (hurrah) number 2, ribbing done and about an 1" of leg
Gifty socks - (secret ones) sock 1, leg almost done.

Crochet;-
Did loads on this but have put back in the cupboard for now until I get some stuff of the needles.

Garments;-
Ruffle mittens - Glove 1 - half way through the thumb gusset. Using some CTH in Champlain Sunset which was a birthday gift from Emma and Jamie, gorgeous, gorgeous colourway.

Banderilla details of design here- I was awaiting a missing ball of yarn from GK (on back order) they got it to me for the start of the holiday so I have knit all the rib, body is knit in one piece, so it's a lot of rib and am now on start of st-st.

Lace;-

Orenburg - still going strong but such fine yarn on little needles (2.5mm) takes time to grow also I need a quiet house for this - but I always had it as a long term project.

Anthemion - ditto the above - lace knitting is difficult for me so I go slow - it is growing - just finished 2nd repeat of chart B.

Cozy - mine is looking a little tatty so I'm making a replacement for winter as it is cozy and I love wrapping myself in it. Using some Manos silk blend that I had left (about 2.75 skeins).

And that's it.

Have also done some patchwork, some needlepoint and a lot of reading - I do knit less when it's warm.

Spinning - nothing since last post.

Sir Conkers McBonkers.....

is 5 years old today. He is celebrating by making a nest in the airing cupboard on the tea towels before heading off up the garden on another kitty adventure. He has lots of new kitty adventures every day, they involve stalking nasty little terrier type things, making Grandma jump, giving hard Paddington stares to the cats next door, chasing Jasmine and laying in the undergrowth surveying his domain. Hard life.

Masham x Shetland

I bought two carded (semi?) batts of this at Woolfest last year. I have finished 2/3 of first batt. It is difficult because my skin dislikes the oils in this fibre and although I love it Shetland fibre/wool doesn't like me much. In the end I broke up the batt and gave it more carding on my hand carders and made rolags. I wanted a thick/thin spin with the odd slub - and that is how it's come out. The above was before washing etc.

The picture below is after soaking in Eucalan for  30+ mins and then dyed with a hard mix of the grape Koolaid (thank you Wibbo). I intentionally made two dye blends, one weaker than the other, it worked and I am happy with the effect.

My hands will need a little recovery before I hand card and spin anymore - this is deffo a long term project.

It's starting to grow.

Actually, it's quite a bigger than this picture already. I've not really worked on anything else in the last few days (a bit of spinning - that's all). I'm loving it.

The hexagons are all sock yarn scraps and the edging is a Rowan Merino 4 ply.

Up a tree.....

fiddlely-diddlely, up a tree. That's the place, the place I long to be.....

If you could see the bottom of the tree, you would see two little terriers trying their hardest to climb up after him, hence the very superior look.

Love me some Conkers.

Polly Jean.

Polly Jean socks by M J Kim.

Started May 2010 finished today - they need washing and blocking.

Knitted for SIL UK size 5.

Yarn - undyed Trekking hand dyed by Pie in 2009.

Needs - 2 x 2.75mm circs.

Another one from my Saddo's Sock Club - done!

Background flowers are 'Love in the Mist' aka 'Fuck in the Fog.

Busy splash of colour

Some colours just work and they shouldn't but they do.

I've recently rediscovered my lost love of needlepoint - it has never been about the image but about the colour.

I've posted my other needlepoint that I'm working on here.

Pinkypurpley handspun

Handspun single ply pure merino wool - colour ranges from from quite a rich purple through pink, lilac and mauve then onto a smokey kind of blue.

Navajo plied. This is 1/2 the amount of fibre approx 49g and tested in 3 places averages out at 16/17 wpi so around a fingering weight yarn. Onto to the next batch.

A new blog

Hmmmmm fancied a change - so I've made a new blog for 'other' stuff -  it's here - this one will continue mainly for my knitting, spinning and handicrafts but all the other old crap will be at my 'waffling' blog.

You're welcome to visit, comment etc.

A brief return

With some knitting. The 'Heart Sachet' from Interweave Press - pattern by Vicki Sever. I made one of these the year the pattern was published and it'ss looking a little worse for wear (see next picture). So I decided, as I was in the mood for a quick knit, to make a replacement yesterday. It's knitted in Koigu PPM on 2.25mm needles. Stuffed with wadding and dried lavender from our garden last year - which still smells really strong. I knit it in about 2 hours in total and love the construction of this pattern, it is very clever and looks great.

The beads are glass ones from my stash - the yarn has brief flashes of pale and kingfisher blue so they work IRL.

 

Here is the original (maybe 5 years old - I've lost track of time). It needs unpicking and restuffing and is also in need of a wash. The colours have lasted well - I still have a scrap of this balled up and there is very little difference in the colours at all. It is dusty though and no longer smells of lavender.

I do love Koigu for the colours - lovely.











Finally a word about my summer hiatus. I will most likely post sporadically but I don't like being on the computer in the summer so instead of a few posts a week it will be when I have some specific to share or when the mood takes me. So for now.......................................................................................

it's back to the fishing.

Gone fishing.

Blog hiatus....be back somewhen.

In the garden

Bluebells.

Creative fidgets

On Friday I......

Did some spinning - on both wheels.
I knit some lace.
I knit on my sock.
I crocheted a hexagon.
I sewed some hand pieced patchwork.
I did some needlepoint/tapestry.

I also read....having another brief flirtation with Sherlock Holmes.....don't tell M.

In other words I have the fidgets. I can't settle. I'm cool with it. I really enjoyed moving from one thing to another but I don't want this to be a long term situation.

I did also do loads of boring chore stuff and stuff with J and dog stuff etc. I also managed a 15 minute snooze and and 45 minute work out.

Yesterday was almost as bad......maybe worse because as well as a repeat of the above, I also cast on a new project.

Today I will try and be still.

Lou-lou Belle

oobles
Originally uploaded by loobles2002

It's been a year this weekend. Even with Lottie and Bog-bog I still miss her every day. Her yodelling bark, her Dally grin, her long face, her solid body that I used to sit on the stairs and hug and general daftness.

I don't miss the size of her turds or her farts!